Songcheng Park & Romance of the Song Dynasty
宋城
“Give me a day, and I'll return a thousand years.” A Song-dynasty-style theme park and the Romance of the Song Dynasty show, staged thousands of times a year, make it Hangzhou's most successful performing tourism project.
Songcheng is located on Zhijiang Road in Xihu District. It opened in 1996 and was China's first tourist area to combine a theme park with live performance. The park recreates Song-dynasty urban life inspired by Along the River During the Qingming Festival. Its sections include Song Hedong Street, Wang Yuanwai's House, where a bride is chosen by tossing an embroidered ball, the Strange Street, Buddhist grottoes, the Liaozhai Haunted House, and workshops of the seventy-two trades. Dozens of street performances run every day, including Yue Fei mustering troops, sword-ladder climbing, puppetry, and iron-flower shows. The centrepiece is Romance of the Song Dynasty, a large song-and-dance show lasting about 60 minutes. It is staged 3 to 6 times a day, from 14:00 to 20:30 depending on the day, with extra shows on holidays. The show's storylines draw on Liangzhu, The Legend of the White Snake, Yue Fei's resistance against the Jin, the lyrics of Liu Yong, and West Lake legends. Its stage machinery, water screens, and performers flying over the audience are spectacular. It ranks among China's leading shows, alongside Song of Everlasting Sorrow and Impression Liu Sanjie. Tickets are mainly for the show. VIP seats cost about RMB 320, and luxury seats cost RMB 350 to 400, and both include park admission. Buy them through the official WeChat account or other platforms, and choose a showtime. It is recommended to enter the park an hour early to see the street performances. Indoor productions such as Lijiang Love Song and Wang Yuanwai's House, along with the Titanic experience, are included in the ticket price. Getting there: take bus 4, 318, or the resort shuttle to the Songcheng stop, or take Metro Line 6 to Zhijiang Ocean Park station and transfer to a bus. From West Lake, a taxi takes about 30 minutes. Nearby attractions include Ocean Park and Rotten Apple Park, which is suited to families. Flash photography is banned in the auditorium. Watch your footing on the steps when the crowds are heavy.
Opening hours
About 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (adjusted to show times)
Nearby sights
- Bamboo Path at Yunqi
- China Academy of Art Xiangshan Campus
- Meijiawu Tea Village
- Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies
- Liuhe Pagoda
- Shili Langdang Trail
- Longjing Village
- Hupao Spring Park